by Henry Kamen (NY, NY: Harper Perennial, December 2008) paperback 544 pp.
According to one review, “This is a fascinating study from an old hand and one that looks afresh at a crucial theme in Spanish history.” Author is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London and an emeritus professor of the Higher Council for Scientific Research in Barcelona. He is the author of Empire: How Spain Became a Great Power, 1492-1763, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest living historians of Spain.